gitnexus-impact-analysis
Use when the user wants to know what will break if they change something, or needs safety analysis before editing code. Examples: "Is it safe to change X?", "What depends on this?", "What will break?"
Best use case
gitnexus-impact-analysis is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Use when the user wants to know what will break if they change something, or needs safety analysis before editing code. Examples: "Is it safe to change X?", "What depends on this?", "What will break?"
Teams using gitnexus-impact-analysis should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/gitnexus-impact-analysis/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How gitnexus-impact-analysis Compares
| Feature / Agent | gitnexus-impact-analysis | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Use when the user wants to know what will break if they change something, or needs safety analysis before editing code. Examples: "Is it safe to change X?", "What depends on this?", "What will break?"
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# Impact Analysis with GitNexus
## When to Use
- "Is it safe to change this function?"
- "What will break if I modify X?"
- "Show me the blast radius"
- "Who uses this code?"
- Before making non-trivial code changes
- Before committing — to understand what your changes affect
## Workflow
```
1. gitnexus_impact({target: "X", direction: "upstream"}) → What depends on this
2. READ gitnexus://repo/{name}/processes → Check affected execution flows
3. gitnexus_detect_changes() → Map current git changes to affected flows
4. Assess risk and report to user
```
>If "Index is stale" → run `npx gitnexus analyze` in terminal.
## Checklist
```
- [ ] gitnexus_impact({target, direction: "upstream"}) to find dependents
- [ ] Review d=1 items first (these WILL BREAK)
- [ ] Check high-confidence (>0.8) dependencies
- [ ] READ processes to check affected execution flows
- [ ] gitnexus_detect_changes() for pre-commit check
- [ ] Assess risk level and report to user
```
## Understanding Output
| Depth | Risk Level | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| d=1 | **WILL BREAK** | Direct callers/importers |
| d=2 | LIKELY AFFECTED | Indirect dependencies |
| d=3 | MAY NEED TESTING | Transitive effects |
## Risk Assessment
| Affected | Risk |
|---|---|
| <5 symbols, few processes | LOW |
| 5-15 symbols, 2-5 processes | MEDIUM |
| >15 symbols or many processes | HIGH |
| Critical path (auth, payments) | CRITICAL |
## Tools
gitnexus_impact — the primary tool for symbol blast radius:
```
gitnexus_impact({
target: "validateUser",
direction: "upstream",
minConfidence: 0.8,
maxDepth: 3
})
→ d=1 (WILL BREAK):
- loginHandler (src/auth/login.ts:42) [CALLS, 100%]
- apiMiddleware (src/api/middleware.ts:15) [CALLS, 100%]
→ d=2 (LIKELY AFFECTED):
- authRouter (src/routes/auth.ts:22) [CALLS, 95%]
```
gitnexus_detect_changes — git-diff based impact analysis:
```
gitnexus_detect_changes({scope: "staged"})
→ Changed: 5 symbols in 3 files
→ Affected: LoginFlow, TokenRefresh, APIMiddlewarePipeline
→ Risk: MEDIUM
```
## Example: "What breaks if I change validateUser?"
```
1. gitnexus_impact({target: "validateUser", direction: "upstream"})
→ d=1: loginHandler, apiMiddleware (WILL BREAK)
→ d=2: authRouter, sessionManager (LIKELY AFFECTED)
2. READ gitnexus://repo/my-app/processes
→ LoginFlow and TokenRefresh touch validateUser
3. Risk: 2 direct callers, 2 processes = MEDIUM
```Related Skills
gitnexus-refactoring
Use when the user wants to rename, extract, split, move, or restructure code safely. Examples: "Rename this function", "Extract this into a module", "Refactor this class", "Move this to a separate file"
gitnexus-guide
Use when the user asks about GitNexus itself — available tools, how to query the knowledge graph, MCP resources, graph schema, or workflow reference. Examples: "What GitNexus tools are available?", "How do I use GitNexus?"
gitnexus-exploring
Use when the user asks how code works, wants to understand architecture, trace execution flows, or explore unfamiliar parts of the codebase. Examples: "How does X work?", "What calls this function?", "Show me the auth flow"
gitnexus-debugging
Use when the user is debugging a bug, tracing an error, or asking why something fails. Examples: "Why is X failing?", "Where does this error come from?", "Trace this bug"
gitnexus-cli
Use when the user needs to run GitNexus CLI commands like analyze/index a repo, check status, clean the index, generate a wiki, or list indexed repos. Examples: "Index this repo", "Reanalyze the codebase", "Generate a wiki"
AGENTS.md
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